Mar 21, 2005

Crazy Crazy Crazy

This is go go go from 4am to 12 noon. Actually I'm still here and it's 12:30pm.

Anyway, to give you an idea of what people in newsrooms sometimes have to put up with...here is a copy of the note I have just left for my colleague for when they come in Monday morning.

Enjoy! Natalie.

--------------Hi News Hounds...

Just warning you that a crazy lady called Kate called in yesterday...around 9:40am...

She was saying it was very urgent we bought a copy of "Hard Evidence" magazine and read an article called "McVee: The Manchurian Candidate" .

(She spelled out "Manchurian" for me, which was very nice of her, considering she then proceeded to ignore everything else I said)

Anyway she started going on about how her father was used as a science experiment by the US army and CIA in World War Two - apparently he was injected with CANCER CELLS...meaning she "never knew him because he was always in hospital".

She reckons that the Townsville soldiers who may possibly have the RAT disease...are being tested on by the army, ASIO, the CIA, CSI, CSI: Miami and quite possibly the West Chermside Junior Boys Brigade.

(I may have made those few up but seriously - it wasn't much of a stretch).

She also claims they're now testing on her son, of whose whereabouts she is currently unaware.

(Gee, I wonder why.)

Her number is 0*** *** ***. DO NOT CALL HER, unless you have a masochistic desire to be ranted at by a certified loopy banana lady. I am just leaving this number in case she needs to be returned to whatever mental facility she escaped from so she can receive the best possible care.

I realise this email is hardly benevolent and understanding - and it's certainly not a side of myself that I wish to promote. But dammit, when you ring me with 15 minutes to news time and I'm trying to write sport and cut up a grab of Bruce Flegg from Madonna and Tony's show and turn it around for 10am, you ain't gonna make me a happy lady!

Oh, and RE: above story on Bruce Flegg calling Lawrence Springborg "a farmer from the Darling Downs" who probably can't cut it as a swinging hipcat who urbane Brisbanites would actually want to vote for...

I got a call from Chris O'Brien at the ABC after that went to air at 10am...asking to hear it again because he wasn't quite sure he'd heard what he thought he'd heard. I thought yay! The ABC are calling ME for news! Woo hoo!

....OK...it's now frighteningly obvious I need sleep...I will go home now and curl up in a big ball.

3 comments:

there was a great book i got to read once, i've seen in in stores from time to time since, called "kooks." someone decided to gather together the rants and ravings of various people who gained media attention or put out fliers telling the "truth" and published their stories.

a damn fine read, if not slightly askew by the fact that some sound like things i could have said.....